Moussaka

10/10/2023

I love to entertain in the summer with moussaka! It's a long-cook dish that takes a lot of time to make, but can easily be made a day, or even two, in advance and just popped in the oven for when guests arrive. It's also a great way to use up eggplants - not my favorite vegetable to eat, but one that is beautiful to grow in the garden and I can't resist planting a few seeds every year. Since the eggplant plays a supporting role in moussaka, I can enjoy the dish without being overpowered by the eggplant taste.

Moussaka

Ingredients

Casserole

4 lb. eggplant, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
4 cups frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. ground lamb
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 can cherry tomatoes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3 sprigs oregano, chopped
1 medium potato, thinly sliced
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
salt & pepper, to taste
Cheese Custard
6 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup flour
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt
4 cups milk, at room temperature
2 cups kefalotiri cheese, grated
2 eggs + 2 egg yolks

Serves 6-8
Cook time: 2 hours

Preheat oven to 450. Brush sliced eggplant with olive oil and roast until softened, about 30 minutes (this should take 2 sheet trays). Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat, add onion and cook until soft, then add garlic and cook one more minute. Salt and pepper lamb, then add to onions, break apart as it cooks. When lamb is mostly cooked, deglaze pan with wine, once alcohol cooks off add tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, cinnamon and nutmeg (salt and pepper, to taste). Cook for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the cheese custard. Melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour; cook till light blonde in color. Slowly whisk in the milk, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly bring to a boil, whisking. Allow mixture to simmer for a few minutes to thicken, then remove from heat. Add half the cheese, the eggs, and the egg yolks, whisking.
Line a casserole dish with potato slices and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Layer as follows: 1/2 the eggplant slices, 1/2 the lamb sauce, 1/2 the spinach, remaining eggplant, remaining lamb sauce, remaining spinach. Top with cheese custard and bake for an hour and twenty minutes (check occasionally to make sure cheese custard does not burn, cover with foil making sure not to touch the top, if needed). Let rest 20-30 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Ratatouille Gumbo

10/10/2023

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This is a vegetarian version of gumbo that uses many vegetables found in ratatouille. It's a great way to use bumper crops of many late summer vegetables!

Ratatouille Gumbo

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup flour
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large or 3 small eggplant, chopped (about 4 cups chopped)
3 lb. tomatoes, chopped
3 cups okra, sliced
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 4-6
Cook time: 1 1/2 hours

Begin by making a roux: melt butter over medium-low heat, add flour and stir to combine; keeping an eye on the roux, cook until tan to chestnut brown in color. Add onions, celery, and pepper cooking until translucent; add eggplant and brown. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are broken down, roughly one, hour, or until the consistency you want. Add okra about 30 minutes before serving. Serve over rice or grits.

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Lychee "Eyeball" Punch

10/10/2023

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This spooky punch will be a hit at your next Halloween party (or even Friday the 13th movie night)! Feel free to substitute sparkling/seltzer/soda water for vodka for a version everyone can enjoy. I like to mix the fruit juices, sugar, and vodka together in advance and finish off with ginger ale right before serving; I also advise making the eyeballs in advance before a party so those are out of the way.

Lychee “Eyeball” Punch

Ingredients

2 20 oz. cans peeled & pitted lychees, drained
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 64 oz. bottle 100% cranberry juice
1/2 cup caster sugar
4 cups orange juice
2 cups pomegranate juice
3 cups spicy ginger ale
3 cups vodka

Serves 16 - 18

Push blueberries into lychees to create "eyeballs"; refrigerate in air-tight container.
Combine remaining ingredients and refrigerate so flavors meld. Add "eyeballs" to punch just before serving. If you are serving in a dispenser, add a few "eyeballs", but keep some out for garnish. In a punch bowl, you can put all "eyeballs" in.

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Beet, Mandarin & Goat Cheese Salad

10/10/2023

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These salad is super simple to throw together, but makes an impact with all the beautiful colors. I've used canned beets and mandarins because I think those are two items that can very well and it makes it easy to throw together for a party, however you're welcome to use fresh roasted beets and fresh mandarins too.

Beet, Mandarin & Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients

8-9 cups salad greens
3 cans sliced beets, drained
16 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
2 cans mandarins, drained
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. honey
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 16 - 18

Combine olive oil, vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a mason jar and shake to combine. When ready to serve, dress salad greens with dressing and top with slices of beets and wedges of mandarin.

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Avocado Deviled Eggs

10/10/2023

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These Halloween deviled eggs are a fun twist on a classic! Expect yours to look a little more green - the coloring didn't come out well in the picture. To get the marbled effect on the yolks I cracked the shells on the boiled eggs and soaked in them in water dyed purple with food coloring for a few days - they came out looking amazing!

Avocado Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

18 eggs
2 avocados
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste

Makes 36 deviled eggs
Cook time: 10 minutes

Place eggs in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil; boil, turn off heat and let eggs sit in pot for 10 minutes. Remove from hot water with a slotted spoon and put in ice water to stop the cooking. Shell eggs and slice lengthwise.
Scoop the yolks out and combine with avocados, sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Place mixture in zip-top bag, snip the end off and fill eggs with mixture.

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Moussaka

Moussaka

Ingredients

Casserole

Cheese Custard

Ratatouille Gumbo

Ratatouille Gumbo

Ingredients

Lychee "Eyeball" Punch

Lychee “Eyeball” Punch

Ingredients

Beet, Mandarin & Goat Cheese Salad

Beet, Mandarin & Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients

Avocado Deviled Eggs

Avocado Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

Stella

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